George ouster



G. CUSTER'.. Vehiolg Spring.

No. 228,983. Patented June 22, |880.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEe GEORGE OSTER', OF BREMOND, ASSIGNOR OF PART OF HIS RIGHT TO STEPHEN F. MINTON AND GEORGE W. NASH, OF SAME PLAGE., AND WM. H. HAMMOND, OF CALVERT, TEXAS; SAID MINTON ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH OF HIS RIGHT TO SAID NASH.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersllatent No. 228,983, dated June 22, 1880.

Application led January 12, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE CUs'rEE, of Bremond, in the county of Robertson and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Carriage and Car Springs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved construction of elliptical steel springs, whereby the leavesforming the spring are held in their proper lateral positions `by means ot a bevelilange or depression on the outside oi' each leaf, so as to hold the whole series of leaves each in its proper lateral position without the use of retaining-lugs and mortises in the leaves, the effect of whichis to seriously weaken the spring.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the' accompanying drawings, of`

whichi Figure I is a side elevation of ahalf of one spring. Fig. II is a general plan oi' the same. Fig. III is a transverse section of the same.

This spring, like other elliptical steel springs, is formed of several leaves, A, A', and A2, the number of leaves, of course, being regulated by the strength and requirements oi' the spring. Each of these leaves will have its outer edges for a distance, say, ofone-third its width, (more or less, beveled from the out-side inwardly, asshown most clearly in Fig. IIl. This beveling will start at a sha-rp and well-dened angle, which is represented by the line a, Fig. Il, the said angle extending the entire length of each contacting-surface of each leaf, and forming a ridge or stop, which will fully hold the leaves together and prevent their lateral displacement. The outer part of each leaf-t2 e., the part a between the angular line a and its outsidewill form the locking-ledge, which will hold the different leaves in place one upon another.

I am well aware that elliptical springs having curved contacting-surfaces between their leaves have heretofore been in use, and also that one Robert Gray, on July 16, i867, was granted a patent, No. 66,702, for one of these devices; but the difficulty with the curved form of transverse section is that lateral position of the leaves one upon another cannot be assured by means of the curved surface, which has no sharply-defined limit, as does this beveled ledge c', and hence this beveled ledge will hold the various leaves of the spring, so that their outer edges will all iall in the same vertical plane, and therefore the beauty of the spring will be unmarred by overlapping edges, as they would be if curved surfaces were relied upon to retain them from displacement. t

I am also aware that springs have been made the leaves of which are dan ged at right angles with the planeJ surface or body ot' the spring. Ido not make my spring in this manner, because these right-angle ilanges evidently detract from the elasticity of the spring, and at the saine time render it more liable to fracture by diminishing its elasticity; but a spring,

made as herein described obviates this diftcnlty, and while it in no wise affects the elasticity, yet answers the purpose of preventing lateral displacement quite as well asa spring with right-angle ilanges.

I do not claim a spring with sides llanged at right angles, nor do I claim a spring with a tapering rib, for neither of these is my invention; but

An elliptical spring each half of which consists of a series of leaves formed with a plane top and angular sides diverging from said plane top and united toget er in the manner described.

GEO. GUSTER.

Witnesses:

J. O. HoL'r, S. M. FOSTER. 

